Graduation
by lesliewwrites
Summary: Drabbles Chap 1: A sweet Klaroline moment that takes place after 4x23. Chap 2: Mattekah moment that also takes place after 4x23.
1. Chapter 1

"Let's get out of here... before twelve angry hybrids decide to pick a fight," said Klaus. Caroline couldn't suppress a snicker at his little joke, hooking her arm into his just as he was offering it to her. They walked down the aisle in companionable silence, away from the graduation stage.

Klaus smiled, thinking how apt this moment was - how it paralleled the graduation of their relationship into another phase. Friendship, definitely, for now. He had seen the way she looked at him when he appeared to save her and her friends from the ghost of the head witch. Her smile could light up his day - and for that, he was willing to give in and make a few exceptions. Exceptions he had never considered before.

The trip to New Orleans had opened up his mind. Stepping away from the situation made him realise that the wrath he had directed at Tyler was fueled more by his obsession with her than anything. There were so many chances when he could have killed Tyler, but he didn't. He didn't because he knew it would only push Caroline further from him. But keeping that wretched hybrid away from her had the same effect of fueling _her_ obsession of wanting Tyler to come back to Mystic Falls.

It hurt to think of how she would go back to Tyler, but he knew it was a decision that had to be made. She had to find out for herself eventually that Tyler could never catch up with her in her pursuit for knowledge, love and art. She needed to go out and explore the world, and see it for herself because only then would she be ready...

"Can we walk all the way home?" Caroline interrupted his musings.

"As you wish, love" replied Klaus.

Silence resumed. Caroline struggled with her feelings. It was the first time they'd been together that they haven't fought about his neurotic need to control, command and conquer. This was the Klaus she had seen when he first came to her bedside when she was dying from the werewolf venom. Granted he had put her in that situation in the first place, Caroline couldn't not admit that she had seen a change in him, that he was a different person around her. This was the Klaus that had saved her in the halls of the school, when she was escaping from Evil Alaric. The one who shared a story about a boy and his beloved horse with her. The one who painted sad and lonely snowflakes. The one who, despite being the most spiteful person she had known, couldn't bear to let her die from his bite when she was drawing her last breath. The one whom she had rebutted ever so often, justifying the hurt she was causing him by telling herself that he was evil. But today, she couldn't bring herself to do that. His magnanimity towards her, the fact that he had actually bothered to come back to Mystic Falls after receiving her graduation invite, the way he had rushed to save Damon after saving them from the ghost witches...

"Are you staying in Mystic Falls?" she asked quietly as her house came into sight.

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart. I have business to attend to in New Orleans."

"When will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow, first flight in the morning."

Caroline looked down, avoiding his eyes. She should be happy that he was leaving, after all the trouble that had happened after his arrival in Mystic Falls. She tried to sort out her feelings and she usually did that by talking. Her verbosity had led her to impossible situations. But this time, she was actually speechless. She had opened her mouth only to close it several times in the twenty-minute walk to her house. They were standing opposite her house, yet neither of them seemed to want to make a move to leave first. The roads were eerily empty.

"Well, it looks like the veil is up," observed Klaus. "Good night, Caroline."

"Wait!" she said. It came out more like a command rather than a request. "Please."

Klaus quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Can we... urm... talk for a while?" she said, leading him to the park near her house. They sat down at the bench side by side.

"Well, what do you want to talk about? The mini fridge?" asked Klaus, breaking the silence.

Caroline smiled at his attempt at humour and felt a little tension leave her body. Taking a deep breath, she asked: "Why?"

"Why the mini fridge?" Klaus pretended to be oblivious.

Caroline shook her head. "No, why are you doing this? Letting Tyler off the hook. I mean, not that I'm not happy about your decision - I am - but why?"

Klaus shifted to face her and took both her hands in his. Looking into her searching eyes, he said: "Because you deserve to be happy. Because I want you to be happy. No, I _need_ you to be happy. I realised that after you pulled me out of the trance Silas trapped me in. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't snapped me out of it. The ordeal was as agonizing as the Hunter's curse. Maybe worse. But you led me out of the trap, the darkness." Klaus sighed. "I'm... It's... Even after all I put you through, you never gave up on me. Thank you, Caroline, for everything."

Caroline felt tears gathering. "Am I going to see you again?" she whispered.

Klaus flashed her a dimpled smile. "You're always welcome to visit me in New Orleans, if you want. And there's always this amazing gadget you youngsters have called the cell," he joked.

"It only works if you answer the calls, or at least reply to people's voicemails,"she chided.

Glad that he had managed to draw her bubbly self back and reassured by her smile, he continued, "But for now, I think you would want to see the world through _your_ perspective, to discover college, knowledge, and everything else. Live your life, sweetheart, the way you want it. I don't want to be the one to take away your options of who you choose to accompany you on your little adventures - not anymore than I already have. And when you're ready for bigger adventures, perhaps... you will allow me to show you the world through my eyes."

Klaus leaned forward to kiss her forehead and put his arm around her, pulling her to his side. Caroline, mesmerised by the sincerity of his declaration, finally allowed her heart to rule over her mind as she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, basking in one of the most peaceful moments she had felt for a very long time.

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_A/N: This little passage is a byproduct of the longer piece I'm working on right now. It would have never made the final cut, but I didn't want to let any chance of writing a Klaroline moment go, so I decided to post it here, separately. You can take it as a "teaser" for the story, as I probably will reference this in that._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_


	2. Chapter 2

"What happens on the road, stays on the road," repeated Matt to himself.

Pulling up his truck in front of the Mikaelson mansion, he took a deep steadying breath. His excitement was palpable. It was the first time he was venturing out of Mystic Falls, after all. He tried to recall the last time the adrenaline pumped through his body like that. Right. It was when he was standing atop an explosive device linked to six cars by the crazy ghost of the ex-boyfriend of the girl he was picking up now. He snorted and shook his head at the incredulity of his situation. He had managed to make the haughtiest original vampire promise to go backpacking with him. He smiled, recalling the look on Rebekah's face at the suggestion.

"Back- what?" her eyes round as saucers as he explained the foreign concept to her.

"And no vampire powers on the trip!" he asked for her word. When she told him she would take care of booking the trip and flights, Matt even drafted an IOU and handed it over to her. He got a little suspicious when she accepted it graciously. Afraid that she would pull a fast one on him and be all extravagant behind his back, he ensured they planned and booked every part of the itinerary together. For the past week, they had hung out at the library or her house, surfing the net for interesting places they wanted to explore on the trip. And they had fallen into a comfortable friendship.

"You get to show me the world, and I get to show you how to live like a _real_ human," he had promised her in return.

Matt opened the door and strode up to her front door. Before he could knock, it swung open.

"Hi!" Rebekah said with a tentative smile. She was wearing her favourite leather jacket and boots, with her hair was loosely braided to the side. Matt was caught momentarily aback when he noticed how pretty but nervous she looked.

"Hey. Urm. Ready?"

She nodded, hoisting a newly bought backpack on her shoulders. Recovering, Matt held out his hand for it. "Allow me to assist, your highness," he said in mocked formality, wanting to lighten the mood for her.

She pressed her lips together but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning up. "As you wish."

Matt took the backpack, surprised that it wasn't actually that heavy - he had thought that she wouldn't be accustomed to travelling lightly. "What? I'm a quick learner - not some spoilt brat," she said defensively when he raised his eyebrows at her. He conceded with a nod of his head and offered his arm to her. "Shall we?"

The air was tinged with anticipation as Rebekah placed her hand into the crook of his elbow. She climbed into the truck and sighed in contentment. The past week was like a dream. With Klaus and Elijah gone, she had the whole house to herself and no one to baby her or mock her foolish human desires. She had spent most of the time with Matt planning for the trip. And he had treated her like a gentleman at every turn. Although she was pretty sure he had outdone himself today. For the first time in a long time, her heart was light. She was hanging out with someone who wasn't interested in gaining anything from her - not the cure, not the white oak dagger, nor the secret location of some treasure - other than her companionship.

Matt hopped into the driver's seat and stole a glance at her. With her eyes closed and her head tilted back onto the headrest, there was a serenity in her pose that he had never observed in her before. He started the engine and pulled his truck onto the road. Purplish-pink streaks were appearing in the soft orange glow of the sun's descent. They would make it in time for their red-eye flight.

"Off into the sunset," murmured Rebekah to herself. And Matt, with his eyes on the road, felt a smile spread across his face at her words.

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_A/N: Thanks for the follows and favourites and views! This is another passage that didn't make the cut into the other story I mentioned I was writing. In case you're following this for that, Chapter 1 of The Final Eclipse is up! Check it out and drop me a note or review to let me know how you feel! Would love to hear everything - the good, bad and ugly. :D_


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